452 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



a7id ventral outlines about equally carved. Snout very blunt, rounded 

 in proiile. Mouth small, the maxillary not reaching the orbit. Caudnl 

 peduncle very short; anterior rays of dorsal and anal little elevated. 

 Lateral line high, a series of conspicuous x)ores above it near the base 

 of the dorsal. Pectorals much longer than head. Gill-rakers rather 

 long, f diameter of the eye, which is 4 in head. Head 4; depth 2^. 

 D. Ill, 45; A. Ill, 38. L. 10 inches. Maine to Cape Hatteras; very 

 abundant. 



(Peck, Mem. Auier. Acad, ii, 48: Ehomhm cryptosus Cuv. & Val. ix, 408; Giintiier, ii, 

 398.) 



233.— I.IRUS Lowe. 



Budder-fislies. . 



(Palinurus DeKay, preoccupied in Crustacea: Palinurwhthijs Gill: Pammclas Giintiier.) 



(Xeints Lowe, Pro^. Zool. Soc. Loud. 1839, 83: typo Lelrus bennetti Lowe = CentrolopUus 

 ovalis C. & V.) 



Body ovate, compressed, more elongate and less compressed than in 

 Stromateus. Profile very blunt and convex. Mouth moderate; maxil- 

 lary narrow, with a small supplemental bone; premaxillaries protrac- 

 tile, little movable. Jaws nearly equal, each with about one series of 

 small, slender teeth; no teeth on vomer or palatines. Preoperculura, 

 interoperculum, and suboperculum finely serrated. Gill-rakers long; 

 gill-membranes separate, free from the istlimus. Scales small, smooth ; 

 larger, thicker, and more adherent than in Stromateus, Cheeks scaly. 

 Fins rather low; dorsal fin long, preceded by G-8 short but rather 

 strong spines, the last ones connected by membrane, the others nearly 

 free; anal fin similar but shorter, preceded by 3 spines, which, like the 

 dorsal spines, are nearly imbedded in thick skin ; vertical fins densely 

 scaly towards their bases ; caudal fin emarginate ; caudal peduncle 

 stout; ventral fins large, thoracic, I, 5; pectoral fins moderate, rounded 

 or falcate. Two species, differing from the European genus Centrolophus 

 chiefly in the development of the dorsal spines, which in thejatter genus 

 are indistinguishable from the soft rays. (Aei/^o?, thin.) 



VIS. \j, perciforinis (Mitch.) J. & G. — riitdder-fish. 



Blackish green, everywhere dark, the belly scarcely paler and not 

 silvery. Eye rather large, with an adipose eyelid, its diameter nearly 

 equal to the snout, 4J in head. Maxillary reaching to opposite front 

 of pupil. Top of head naked, covered with small mucous pores. Pec- 

 torals nearly as long as head. Head 3^^; depth 2^. D. VII, I, 21; A. 



